First responders are searching for a 22-year-old swimmer who went missing at lake in Hopkinton late Friday, according to authorities.
A 911 call came in around 8 p.m. Friday reporting the man had not returned with his friend after they swam past the safe-swimming zone set up at Sandy Beach at Lake Maspenock. The friend eventually returned to the beach, noticed the man was missing and called 911, Hopkinton Police Chief Joseph Bennett and Interim Fire Chief Gary Daugherty said in a statement
Hopkinton firefighters and police officers soon kicked off the search, with the Hopkinton Fire Department using its sonar-equipped rescue boats to look for the man. Divers from the Massachusetts Fire District 14 Technical Rescue Team also helped, and boats were provided by the Natick and Westborough fire departments, according to the statement.
First responders stopped their search around midnight and were expected to resume operations at 7 a.m. Saturday. Severe weather led to multiple interruptions Friday night, the police and fire chiefs said in their statement.
“We faced a number of obstacles during the search, including limited visibility and thick weeds in the lake. We decided around midnight to halt the recovery effort and will return in the morning when conditions are safer,” Daugherty detailed in the statement.
The search for the man is now being considered a recovery operation, the statement noted. The family of the missing swimmer has been notified. Sandy Beach will be closed Saturday until further notice.
The police and fire chiefs asked swimmers to abide by the following safety guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Always use the buddy system. Don’t swim alone.
- Be aware of local weather conditions, which can change quickly.
- Watch out for hidden hazards in the water, such as rocks and vegetation, that can limit visibility.
